Gathering-head for dredges.



E. 'BARTHOLOMEW. GATHERING HEAD FOR DREDGES.

APPLICATION HLED uc.4, 1913.

1,144,406. Patented June 29, 1915.

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WI TNE 65E-5 THE NORRIS PETERS CO. FH077G-L!THO WASHINGTON. B C.

E. BARTHOLOMEW. GATHERING HEAD FOR DREDGES.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 4, 1913. 1,14%;406. Patented June 29, 1915.

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SO have communication with any suitable v STATES ra'rnnr orrron...

ELLIS BAR'lI-IOLOMEW, OF TOLEDO, OHIO, ASSIGNOIR- TO THE NATIONAL PEAT REFIN- ING COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

GATHERING-HEAD FOR DREDGES.

' Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 29, 1915.

Application filed December 4, 1913. Serial No. 804,713.

To all whom/it may concern Be it known that I, ELLIS BARTHOLOMEW, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Gathering-Head for. Dr'edges,

and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to Which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which provision of improved agitating or material chopping and loosening means at the intake end ofthe gathering-head or suction conduit, whereby to enhance the practicability and commercial value of apparatus of this character. Y Y

The invention is particularly designed and intended for use in connection with, the gathering of material of a loose, soft or semisoft nature, suchfor instance, as peat, which is of such a character as tovery materially facilitate the gathering ofsuch materials.

-The invention is fully described in the following specification, and while, in its broader aspect, it is capable of embodiment in numerous'forms, a preferred embodiment thereof is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

' Figure l is a central verticalsection of an apparatus embodying the invention taken substantially on the line .in Fig. 2.

5 Fig. 2 is a cross-section thereof on the line y' in Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is'a'side elevation thereof with a portion in section on the line ooin Fig.1.

'Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a hollow suction head, which has its inner end restricted, in the'presentinstance, and connected to a suction conduit 2 which may lead to any suitable point for the delivery of the material being acted on, and also means for creating a vacuum or suction action therethrough,gas is well understood in the jart. The head l is preferably of cylindrical" shape in cross-section and is telescoped at its'o'uter or intake'end by asliding sleeve member 3, which is provided in-ii teriorly thereof at its outer endportion with a plurality of radially disposed webs 4 form ing cutter-knives. These webs are also. shown as being connected intermediate their ends by a circular web portion 5, which is disposed in concentric spaced relation to the sleeve 3 and cooperates with the webs 4 and the outer edge of the sleeve 3 to chop up or disintegrate the material'on which it acts, as hereinafter described. The outer end of' the head 1 is provided with longitudinally' extending slots 6 in register with the respective webs 4 for such webs to work in.

Mounted within the inner end portion of the head 1 in spaced relation to its wall is a cylinder 7, the axis of which is disposed longitudinally of the head, and in which works a piston 8, the piston-rod 9 of which extends outwardly therefrom through a stufiing-box 10 in the lower or outer end of the cylinder and connects to the central or hub portion of the cutter webs 4. It is thus evident that a movement of the piston 8 within the cylinder 7 will impart corresponding reciprocatory movements to the cutter member 3,4, 5. Spaced connecting parts 11 are pro vided between the walls of the head 1 and.v cylinder 7 to support the latter in relative rigid relation to the former in such 'a manner as to permit the passage of material, through the head around the cylinder.

Provided, in the present instance,'on the inner end portion of the wall forming the cylinder 7 is a fluid chest 12 having a fluid intake passage 13 and an exhaust passage 14. The inlet passage 13 extends down through the wall of the cylinder 7 and one of the connecting parts 11 and has connection at its outer end with a hose or tube, 15 leading to any suitable source of fluid pressure supply The exhaust passage 14 is pro vided, in the present instance, with two outlet branches 14 and 14 one off; which leads down through a wall of the cylinder 7 and thence outward through one of the connections 11, while the other leads upward from the port 14 through the wall of the steam-chest 12 and terminates in a'disthrough one or the other thereof, or both branches may be left open so that the exhaust isdistributed and passes through both of the branches. By discharging the exhaust into the conduit 2 the suction action Within such conduit is augmented, as will "be apparent.

.'A D-val-ve 18 is slidably mounted in the chest 12, and serves to alternately connect the cylinder inlet ports 19 and 20 with the adjacent ends of the chest. The ports or fluid supply passages 19 and 20, which extend from the chest 12, terminate at their outer .ends within the cylinder 7, one at each end thereof, as shown inv Fig. 3. The passages19 and 20 have by-passes 19 and 20 res ectively, leading therefrom to the inner en s of' the respective channel portions 24: and 25, at the outer ends of the chest 12 in which the valve enlargements 22 and 23 wor'k. The outer ends of the channel portions-24 and 25 have passages 26 and 27, respectively,.leading therefrom and communicating at their opposite ends With the interior of'the cylinder 7.. Thecylinder end .of.

the passage 26 is. disposed in proper position, to be uncovered by the lower end of.

the piston 9 when itisnear the limit of its upward stroke, while the cylinder end of the passage 27 is disposed in position to be uncovered, by the upper end of the piston jhennear the limit of its downward stroke. While I 'haveshown and described a particular form of. means. for controlling the admission of fluid to the cylinder for oper-.

ating the piston 8,, it will be understood that the. invention is not restricted. to the use .of such means, as, any suitable fluid control ling means may be employed for such pure u e. In the; operation .of my invention the suc tion head. 1, is placed with its open end in.

material-cutting position, as is customary with gathering devices of this character,

andsteam or other fluid pressure is then directed into the distributing chest 12 through the tube 15 and passage 13 from whence it is alternately dischargedinto opposite ends offthe cylinder 7 f to impart reciprocatory movements to the piston 8 in a manner well understood inthe art. The rapid reciprocatory movements which are thus imparted to the piston 8 cause corresponding rapid,

breaking up .and disintegrating the material bemg acted on to facilitatei-adrawi-ng of the same through the head 1 and conduit 2 by suction or vacuum action. If desired the whole or a portion of the exhaust piston operating fluid may be discharged through the exhaust passage 14" into the conduit 2 in the direction of movement of the material therein to augment or facilitate the movement of thematerial throughsuch conduit, or, the plug 17 maybe placed in the passage 1 t to close .the same, and thepassage 14a left open for the discharge of all of the exhaust fluid therethrough externally of the suctionhead;

It will be understood that any form of fluid .underpressure, such for instance, as-

2. In combination, a gathering head, an.

agitating member sleeved. to the intakeend of said.- head for reciprocatory movements. relative. thereto and having; interior weblike cuttingparts, and [means for reciprocating said member. i

3. In combination, a gathering head, an

agitating member sleeved to-the intake end of said head for reciprocatory movements relative thereto, and means within the head connectedrto said member and operable by fluid pressure to reciprocate the memberrelative to the head.

l. In combination, a gathering head,i an

agitating and. cutting member at the intake end ofsaid head, and fluid actuatedmeans Within the headmoperatedrby fluid pressure to impart remprocatory movements to said.

member.-

5. In combination, a gathering head oi the character described;material chopping means carried the intake end of said head for linear. reeiproeatory movements relative thereto, and fluid actuating means mounted Within said head in connection.

with. and for impartingreciprocatory movements to said. chopping means.

l combination, a gathering head, agir tating means movably carried at the intake end. of sa1d head, and fluid-actuated means" for imparting-movements to saidagitating means and having its fluid. exhaust into a portion of said head for creating a suction action therein in the direction of movement of matter therethrough.

In combination, a gathering head, an agitating member at the intake thereof, fluid actuated means within the head for imparting movements to said agitating means, and control means operable to cause the fluid exhaust to take place either through the head in the direction of movement of matter therethrough or exteriorly of the head.

8. In combination, a gathering head hav ing a movable agitating part at its intake end, fluid actuated means within the head for imparting agitating movements to said part, said actuating means having a fluid exhaust passage which is branched with one branch opening into the passage through the head in the direction of movement of matter therethrough and the other branch opening without the head.

9. In combination, a gathering head having a movable agitating part at its intake end, fluid actuated means within the head for imparting agitating movements to said part, said actuating means having a fluid exhaust passage which is branched with one branch opening into the passage through the head in the direction of movement of matter therethrough and the other branch opening without the head, and means for closing either of said exhaust passage branches.

10. In combination, a gathering head having a movable agitating part at the intake end thereof, a cylinder within said head in spaced relation to the wall thereof, spaced connections between the walls of said cylinder and head for supporting one within the other, a piston operating in said cyl inder, connection between said piston and agitating part for communicating movements from one to the other, and means for controlling the admission of fluid to said cylinder for operating said piston, said means having a fluid intake passage through one and a fluid exhaust passage through another of said connections between the walls of the cylinder and head.

11. In combination, a gathering head having an intake end which is cylindrical in cross-section and longitudinally slotted, an agitating member sleeved to the intake end of said head for reciprocatory movements relative thereto and having webs, a part at least of which work in the slotted portions,

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

